Excerpt: Romancing Lorelei

“Let me finish,” he cut her off, leaning in just a bit closer. His and slid from her chin to clasp her hand between them. “You are beautiful and sexy and since the first moment I saw you I’ve been fascinated. That night between us, that wasn’t like me either. I was so incredibly hot for you I couldn’t think straight. I thought that if I could have you then I could get you out of my head. So I arranged with Kath and Jack to use their tent. But that all too brief night was more than I imagined possible, and then you were gone the next morning without a word. You have haunted me every moment of every day since.”

Every molecule of oxygen in the car seemed evaporate. Lorelei’s chest tightened and her throat closed, and even if she could have spoken her brain was too fogged to put together a coherent sentence. No one had ever said anything like this to her. Ever. She didn’t know if she should laugh in his face or melt into a puddle at his feet. Before she could decide, he went on.

“You don’t want me to think you sleep with just anyone, but I need you to know that I don’t think that. And more than that, I need you to know that I don’t just want sex from you. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to have sex with you again. Well, not for a little while at least. That’s why I didn’t go any further than I did earlier today. It’s true that I find you so incredibly sexy it’s hard to think straight sometimes, but, there is more to what I feel than that. You are funny and sweet and your smile breaks my heart. I don’t know even a millionth of what there is to know about you, but I do know that I want to know it all.”

There was a long pause where there was no sound in the truck except for their breaths. Then Lorelei pulled her hand from his and took a deep breath. “I still think you may have me confused for another type of girl. I know I said I’m not casual about sex, but I’m not quite that serious about it either. What I meant was I am usually very picky about who I sleep with. I usually go on a minimum of three dates to make sure we are on the same wavelength. But I don’t require a serious relationship to have a sexual one.”

Kaden’s eyebrows furrowed quizzically. “So, what you are saying is that you’ll have sex with me, but you won’t date me?”

Yes, that is exactly what she was saying. Wasn’t it? She wasn’t really sure of anything. She definitely wanted to get him in bed again, she couldn’t deny that. But, she had also had a lot of fund with Kaden and his family tonight. “I’m not really the “know everything about you” type of girl. Before tonight I’ve never met the family of anyone I’ve dated. It’s just not who I am.”

“You know, there’s a first time for everything. And how can you really know you’re not that kind of girl if you’ve never tried it?” He didn’t give her time to respond. He grabbed her hand again, lacing their fingers together, and went on. “Lorelei, I just want to date you, not skin you and eat you for breakfast. It’s not that scary. We go to the movies, dancing, out to eat, you know the things people normally do when they are getting to know each other. Let me romance you a little. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I could detest you.”

“Or you could really like me, even fall in love with me,” he grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her.

Yeah, that was actually the worst thing that could happen. The last thing she needed was to fall in love and get her heart ripped out. Yet, he was so cute when he was trying to be endearing. And so sexy. Even with the word “love” in the air, which would normally be a splash of cold water to her libido, sitting so near him had every one of her nerve ends tingling.

She let out a huff of air. “Okay. I’ll date you. But I’m not making any promises, and I definitely don’t want you to make any.”

Kaden didn’t respond with words. Instead he slid his to the back of her neck and pulled her to him. When his lips met hers something hot and needy exploded inside her. She leaned into him, letting him deepen the kiss. For a long moment they explored each other through taste and touch. When he finally pulled back she was weak and breathless. That kiss had certainly felt like a promise, she just didn’t know of what.

“Will you come in?” she asked hopefully, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“No. I meant it. No sex for a while. I want to get to know you without sex muddling things up.” He straightened in his seat and slumped back, groaning. “I can’t open your door for you. If I get out of this truck, I won’t get back in until morning.”

Lorelei flashed him a sexy grin. “That would be okay.”

“Stop trying to seduce me, you sultry siren,” he laughed, leaning over to drop a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Go on. I’ll call you tomorrow.”